The Republican-led House has just unanimously approved a bill to mandate that the Director of National Intelligence declassify all information related to the origins of COVID.
JUST IN – House votes 419-0 on a bill that requires the Director of National Intelligence to declassify all information on the origins of COVID. The bill now requires Biden's signature. pic.twitter.com/WWsYef40oh
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) March 10, 2023
This comes after the Senate passed the bill via unanimous consent, which means the bill will head to Biden’s desk.
Here’s more via The Hill:
The House unanimously approved a bill on Friday that would require the director of national intelligence (DNI) to declassify information related to the origins of COVID-19, sending the measure to President Biden’s desk for final approval.
The legislation, titled the COVID-19 Origin Act, passed in a 419-0 vote, just over a week after the Senate approved the bill by unanimous consent.
The White House has not indicated whether Biden will sign the measure. Asked on Wednesday if the president had made a decision on the bill, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre referred reporters to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
The renewed push on Capitol Hill to declassify intelligence pertaining to the origins of COVID-19 came shortly after The Wall Street Journal reported the Energy Department had determined, with “low confidence,” that coronavirus most likely came from a laboratory in China.
The determination, for which the Journal cited a classified intelligence report, was a change from the department’s previous undecided stance on COVID-19’s origins. The classified report, according to the newspaper, was recently sent to the White House and some congressional lawmakers.
It really doesn’t matter if Biden signs it into law or not because with these vote margins the House and Senate will easily override his veto.
I’m honestly surprised that Democrats are on board with this legislation. I would have never guess, of all issues, that this would be the one to get complete bipartisan support.